Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches
by Dozo14
Summary: The start of a new story arc. When Duncan gets a call for help from Nathan, the Chosen head to Las Vegas to save the twins. However, in order to save them, they must risk their own souls. Meanwhile, Billie experiences an issue in her relationship with Jake.
1. Chapter 1

Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches

Xxx

As the bright lights flashed and the music played loudly through the streets, twenty-seven year old investor Thomas Ward walked down the Las Vegas Strip. His life was in ruins. A bad investment had caused his company to go bankrupt in a matter of days, causing him to lose everything. His girlfriend, who apparently was only interested in his money, had left him and had hooked up with his best friend. He had nothing left, except for the suit he was wearing and the little money he had left in his wallet. Winning it all back at the casino seemed like his only course of action.

As he crossed the street, Thomas' eyes suddenly caught a flashing sign, the Three Wishes casino. He had never heard about it or seen it before, but there were beautiful and scantily clad women standing by the entrance that drew him closer. They were dressed in colorful Arabic costumes, like women in a desert harem.

"Welcome to the Three Wishes Casino." One of the women, a redhead, said as he approached her. "Is this your first time?"

"Yeah." Thomas replied.

"Well, then you're in luck." The woman said. "Tonight, we have a special deal for new visitors. A chance to win big. First chip is free."

The woman held out a chip and Thomas accepted it. He saw it was light blue and had a symbol of an oil lamp on it. It seemed to glow at him and Thomas could see opportunity flash before his eyes.

"I can win it all back." Thomas said under his breath.

"And so much more." The woman added with a smile. "Just head right in and forget all your troubles."

Thomas nodded and headed inside. The entire casino was in an Arabic theme, like he had walked into a story of one thousand and one nights. The entire wait staff was dressed in similar harem costumes, with the men shirtless except for a small vest and wearing puffy harem pants. A waitress handed him a blue drink and Thomas took a sip. Instantly, he felt his worries melt away. This place was amazing, a place to get his life back, better than ever.

Thomas headed to a roulette table, which was operated by a large and muscular man in a dark blue robe and turban. He placed a bet and prayed for it to work. The ball rolled on the roulette table and landed on the right spot. Thomas cheered in celebration and the others clapped. The dealer handed him his winnings. Perhaps this was his lucky night.

After several rounds of winnings, Thomas had gathered quite a fortune, though his luck seemed to go downhill. He was handed another drink by a waitress. As he took a sip, Thomas looked at the pretty blonde and noticed she had a golden collar around her neck, as well as her wrists. These costumes were pretty realistic, she looked like an actual slave.

Thomas continued gambling and he became more reckless. After a few more rounds, his profit was gone and he was actually building up a debt. However, he was not willing to give up, his luck could turn around again. Someone padded him on the shoulder. He turned and saw it was another large man in a dark robe and turban.

"The manager would like to see you, Mister Ward." The man said. "Please follow me."

Feeling a little intimidated, Thomas got up and followed the man, who was probably a security guard. As he followed the man, he suddenly wondered how they knew his name. He had not told anyone. The VIP lounge was quite beautiful, like an exclusive strip club. It was dark and there were exotic dancers everywhere, dressed in even more revealing outfits than the waitresses.

Thomas was guided to a table in the back. There was a man at the table dressed in a sharp grey suit. He had slight greying hair and a charismatic appearance. One of the dancers was just finishing a lap dance. Thomas noticed the same collar on her as on the wait staff.

"Welcome, Mister Ward." The man said as the dancer walked away. "Please, have a seat. My name is Carson Mayer, the manager of the Three Wishes casino."

"Hello." Thomas said as he sat down.

"Can I offer you a drink?" Carson said as she snapped his fingers.

A waiter came walking up to the table. He was a young man with short brown hair. Thomas noticed the same collar on him as on the women, and he seemed angry. Now that he thought about it, the waitresses who had served him before all smiled, but they were not happy either. Carson ordered a drink the waiter left. Thomas watched as he walked to the bar, where an identical-looking guy poured the drinks.

"It seems we have a problem, Mister Ward." Caron said. "You built up quite a dept."

"I can win it back. I just need a little more time." Thomas replied.

"Wouldn't that only increase your debt?" Carson asked.

"I know, I got carried away. I can't pay right now." Thomas said desperately. "Please give me another chance."

"It is not very smart to gamble with money you don't have." Carson said. "So what are you willing to do to fix it?"

"Anything, please. I just need one more shot." Thomas said.

The waiter returned and placed the drinks on the table. Thomas quickly grabbed his and took a big gulp. He needed some liquid courage to get through this. Caron picked up his own drink and smiled as he took a sip. He looked at the waiter, who bowed and quickly left. As Thomas looked at him, he noticed the waiter shaking his head in a warning manner.

"I have a proposition, Mister Ward." Carson said. "One more game, all or nothing. If you win, your debt is forgiven, if you lose, you lose everything."

"I already lost everything. I have nothing more to lose." Thomas replied. "What sort of game?"

"Black Jack, best of three." Carson said.

"I guess I don't really have a choice." Thomas said.

"Oh, you always have a choice." Carson replied somewhat sinister. "If we do this, it has to be your choice. You will need to sign this."

Carson reached into his jacket pocket and rolled out a piece of paper over the table. It was a contract. Thomas studied it, but most of it did not make sense. He hesitated, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

"Sign it and you get one more chance. You could be a very rich man, or have nothing at all." Carson said. "It is the deal of a lifetime."

"What else do I have to lose?" Thomas replied.

Seeing this as his last chance, Thomas grabbed a pen and signed on the dotted line. Carson smiled and rolled up the contract, giving it to one of his guards. He then stood up.

"Alright, Mister Ward." Carson said. "Let's play."

A little while later, Thomas and Carson were sitting at the black jack table. Thomas had won the first hand, Carson the second, which meant it all came down to the last draw. The dealer dealt the cards and Thomas got a three, while Carson got a queen.

"Hit me." Thomas said.

A card was added, a ten, which meant Thomas now had thirteen. Carson got another card and it was a king, meaning he had twenty. It also meant that Thomas had to get another card to win, but it a risk considering it easily could be a high card. It was all or nothing, after all.

"Hit me." Thomas said again.

The dealer nodded and drew a card. When he placed it on the table, Thomas' heart skipped a beat. It was a jack. He had lost, he had lost everything.

"No, no, no!" Thomas called out. "This cannot be happening."

"I hate to say it, Mister Ward, but it seems your luck ran out." Carson said. "You lost, which means your soul is mine."

"Soul?" Thomas asked confused. "What are you talking about?"

Carson smiled and suddenly a gold collar appeared around Thomas' neck and his wrists. He freaked out and tried to pull them off, but they were seamless and immovable. What the hell was going on? He tried to remove the collar again, but was shocked with a jolt of electricity, causing him to fall off the chair and roll over the floor.

"You really should read the fine print before signing anything, Mister Ward." Carson said casually as he stood up. "Take him to the dungeon. We'll decide what to do with him later."

The dealer nodded and moved from the table. Thomas saw him coming and tried to crawl away, but the dealer picked him up with incredible strength and carried him off. Thomas screamed for his life as he disappeared into the unknown dungeon, though nobody in the VIP area seemed to care or even notice.

Xxx

As the latest victim of the casino was carried away to the dungeon, Nathan Ross clenched his fist as he stood by the bar trying to ignore what was happening. Another fool who signed over their soul without knowing what they were getting into. He wanted to help, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He had seen it happen for the last three months. Instead, he gathered some empty glasses and put them on the bar. His brother Nick grabbed the glasses to clean them.

"Another idiot lost." Nick remarked dryly.

"I know. We need to do something." Nathan said.

"We already tried that, and guess what, we're stuck here dressed like freaking Aladdin." Nick said in an annoyed tone as he pointed at his outfit.

"Don't forget that this is your fault." Nathan remarked. "Come on, Nate, just one more hit and we're done. We were supposed to start over."

"Hey, you went along with it." Nick replied.

"I know." Nathan admitted with a sigh. "But I'm not spending my life as a busboy."

"At least we're just on the wait staff. Thank God we don't have to dance or do… worse things." Nick replied. "Then again, you might like that."

"Shut up." Nathan snapped at him. "The fact that I'm gay doesn't mean I am willing to… do every creepy guy that comes in here."

"I'm just kidding." Nick said.

"I'm glad you can still see the humor in this." Nathan remarked. "We never should have attempted to rob this place. Now we're stuck like the ones stupid enough to sign their souls over."

"So do you have a plan?" Nick asked.

"Well, I was thinking, these stupid slave collars are blocking our active powers, but our telepathic link is still working, right?" Nathan said.

"So? How is that helpful?" Nick asked.

"What if we can find a way to boost the signal?" Nathan asked. "To reach someone else and ask for help?"

"It is worth a shot." Nick replied with a shrug. "So let me guess who we're trying to reach…"

"Shut up and just work with me." Nathan replied.

"Dude, not here." Nick said under his breath as some guards walked past. "Tonight."

"Fine, let's get back to work before they become suspicious." Nathan replied.

Nathan picked up a tray and headed over to some tables to collect glasses. As he cleaned the table, he noticed an elderly woman being led into the VIP area by the guards. She was too old to be put to work here, so if Carson collected her soul, it would probably be auctioned off to the highest bidding demon. Perhaps working here was not the worst fate, but Nathan was not willing to accept it just yet. He had made a promise to Duncan to get his life in order. Now the Chosen were the only ones who could help them.

Xxx

When Billie Jenkins woke up, she yawned as she stretched her arms, only to find the bed empty. She opened her eyes and noticed Jake was gone, though she heard movement in the apartment. She sighed and got out of bed to get dressed. Their sleepovers had become a common thing over the last three months, now that they were finally officially dating. There was just one problem, it had become completely boring.

When Billie had met Jake, he was a dangerous witch hunter. There was a certain threat and excitement. Now that they had both admitted their feelings, things were normal. Too normal. Jake had his job at the police department, Billie had her classes. They had dinner, stayed in to watch a movie and went to bed. It felt like she had been pulled from a whirlwind romance into the life of an old married couple. The fact that there had barely been any demonic activity did not help either.

Billie left the bedroom and found Jake making breakfast in the kitchen, already dressed for work. She kissed him on the cheek as she grabbed coffee.

"Morning, want some eggs?" Jake asked.

"Sure." Billie replied. "So what are you doing today?"

"Mostly paperwork." Jake replied. "You?"

"Classes, as usual." Billie said.

"I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight." Jake said as he handed her a plate of eggs and sat down. "That Italian restaurant?"

"I actually have plans with Vi and Duncan tonight." Billie said.

"Oh, alright." Jake replied disappointed.

"I'm sorry, but I made these plans last week." Billie said. "We can go out tomorrow."

"Sure." Jake replied as he poked at his eggs.

"Right. I should get going. I got classes." Billie replied awkwardly.

Billie quickly took a few bites of her eggs and got up to grab her stuff. She then gave Jake a kiss and left the apartment. As soon as she was outside, she took a deep breath. She needed to figure out what was going on between them, before it was over.

Xxx

When Duncan returned to his dorm room after his morning run, he was annoyed by the mess his new roommate had left behind. Due to an increase in new students at the start of the semester, the school could no longer offer single rooms, so Duncan was forced to take on a roommate. Perhaps it was time to search for an apartment of his own.

Duncan sat down on his bed and grabbed his phone. No new messages. He had hoped to have heard from Nathan by now, since it had been three months since they last spoke. As he stared at a picture they had taken together, Duncan suddenly remembered he had a weird dream. Like someone was calling out to him. However, the moment he woke up, the words had faded away.

Disappointed, Duncan put his phone away and grabbed his stuff in order to go take a shower. As he headed to the door, he suddenly felt a headache come on and became dizzy.

"_Duncan!_" A voice telepathically echoed in his head. "_Please help_."

"Nathan?" Duncan asked surprised.

There was no response, at least not in words. When Duncan closed his eyes, he briefly saw some images flash before his eyes. They seemed random, but he soon realized they had one thing in common. Las Vegas. Nathan was there, and he needed help.

xxx


	2. Chapter 2

Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches

Part 2

Xxx

After her only morning class, Violet Morgan headed to the campus coffee corner to meet with Billie. She made a brief stop at the bathroom to check out her new hair. She had decided on a radical change and now sported a shorter cut with bangs. She loved it, but she hoped Arthur would also like it when he finally came back. He had been gone on his expedition for three months now and his last letter dated back two weeks. She really liked the fact that he wrote her old-fashioned letters, instead of an impersonal email. He should get back in two little days and she could not wait. She really missed him, especially after the special night they shared before he left. It was almost unfair that after all this time, she had to wait all over again.

Violet entered the coffee corner and spotted Billie. She walked over and the two friends hugged. They both ordered a tea before sitting down.

"I love the hair!" Billie said excited.

"Thanks." Violet replied with a smile. "It literally is the bravest thing I've ever done."

"Did you always have it long?" Billie asked.

"No, back in high school it was really short." Violet admitted much to her regret. "Almost boy-like."

"Well, you're a woman now." Billie replied with a smile. "In all aspects."

"Stop, please don't embarrass me." Violet said with a slight blush.

"Why? It is not embarrassing." Billie replied. "It is awesome, besides, you and Arthur really love each other, right?"

"I guess so." Violet said with a smile.

"You're lucky." Billie remarked.

"What do you mean?" Violet asked confused. "It something going on with you and Jake? I thought everything was going great."

"It's going great…" Billie started. "Or at least, it's going fine. I don't know, it's just fine."

"Just fine?" Violet asked.

"I don't know how to put it, but part of me is just bored, I guess." Billie said. "It is like all the excitement is gone now that we're dating like normal people. It was different at first."

"Because of the witch and hunter thing?" Violet asked. "You know, dating the enemy?"

"Well, Jake was never really an enemy, but sure." Billie said. "Now that we moved past the whole forbidden thing, everything is just so normal."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Violet asked.

"Maybe, but it doesn't feel like it." Billie replied with a sigh.

"Okay, let me ask you something, and you need to be honest." Violet said. "If you look past everything else, and just focus on Jake… Do you love him?"

Billie pondered her question for a moment and looked out the window. Finally, she turned back to Violet. "I'm not sure." She admitted. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I think you need to talk to him about this." Violet said.

"I was afraid you would say that." Billie remarked reluctantly, and then decided to change the subject. "So what is going on with you? When is Arthur coming back?"

"Two days." Violet replied.

"Ah, are you planning a romantic homecoming?" Billie asked.

"I would, but I have no idea where." Violet said. "My new roommate is driving me insane. Hardly the setting for a sexy reunion."

"I know what you mean." Billie said. "I hate these new arrangements. I've had a single room for three years and now I'm stuck with a roommate? What is that all about?"

"Well, since the other school closed, all new students are coming here." Violet replied. "So have you ever considered getting an apartment or something?"

"I did, but it's too expensive. Luckily, this is my last year." Billie said. "I miss living at the manor. Piper was an amazing cook."

"Well, maybe we would try finding a place together." Violet suggested. "I can cook."

"Really?" Billie asked.

"Well, not really, but I can learn." Violet replied with a shrug.

"No, I mean, do you really want to live together?" Billie asked.

"Why not? You're like my best friend." Violet said. "Isn't a friend as a roommate a lot better than a complete stranger?"

"Actually, that sounds really great." Billie said. "We should do it!"

"Okay!" Violet said excited. "Let's do it."

Violet and Billie both raised their teas and clicked their cups in celebration. Violet would be happy to be free of her frustrating roommate and have a place of her own.

"Oh, hey there is Duncan." Billie said.

Violet turned around and saw Duncan come in. He spotted them and sat down. He looked nervous and sweaty, like something was wrong.

"I need your help." Duncan said.

"Well, hello to you too." Billie remarked.

"What is going on?" Violet asked. "You're sweaty."

"I was running, and I think Nathan is in trouble." Duncan explained. "I got a telepathic call for help."

"Are you sure?" Violet asked.

"I think so. I got a very clear message asking for help, and I saw flashes of Las Vegas." Duncan said. "That is where they were last."

"How do you know?" Billie asked and Duncan remained silent, causing her to become suspicious. "Wait, you were still hooking up with Nathan after they left San Francisco?"

"Sort-of." Duncan admitted. "But I ended it when I found out they were still misusing their powers. Nathan promised to get his life in order, but I think something went wrong."

"Of course something went wrong, they have been petty criminals their entire lives." Billie said. "What else did you expect?"

"What does it matter? They need our help." Duncan argued.

"It matters." Billie said. "They obviously didn't change, they probably got themselves in trouble. You can't trust them. Besides, are you sure it wasn't a dream?"

"I'm sure. I got the message when I was wide awake." Duncan replied. "And whether not they have changed, they need our help."

"They are not exactly innocents." Billie said.

"I hardly think you're the right person to make that kind of judgment!" Duncan said harshly.

"That's a low blow." Billie said angrily.

"Okay, why don't we all calm down a minute?" Violet said nervously, trying to ease the tension.

"What do you think about this?" Billie asked.

Violet hesitated, as she was not quite sure what to say. She understood both their points of view. The twins were hardly innocents, considering their past actions, but what if they really wanted to change? Besides, Duncan truly seemed to care about Nathan and believed in him. He was their friend, meaning he deserved the benefit of the doubt. If Duncan felt like this was something they needed to do, they had to support him.

"We should find out what is going on." Violet eventually said.

"And what if this is all some kind of scheme?" Billie asked.

"Then we'll find out." Violet replied. "And we can decide what to do then. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Billie said reluctantly.

"Agreed." Duncan added. "And I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Billie replied. "So how do you want to handle this?"

"Well, I was hoping Violet could get a premonition, to see what we're dealing with." Duncan said.

"I guess we could try." Violet replied.

Violet extended her hands and Duncan took hold of them. Violet sighed and closed her eyes. She focused and tried to picture the twins. She could never really control her power, but that did not mean she could not try. However, nothing seemed to be happening. Violet was about to give up, when she was suddenly pulled into a premonition.

_She saw the skyline of Las Vegas, and then moved to a casino. A name clearly appeared, the Three Wishes casino. She moved inside the casino, though before she could see anything, two dark eyes appeared staring back at her._

Violet screamed as she was forcefully pushed out of the premonition and spilled her tea. She looked around and saw the concerned looks of Billie and Duncan, as well as everyone else in the coffee corner staring at her like she was crazy.

Xxx

Back at the San Francisco Police Department, inspector Jake Porter was sitting behind his desk catching up on reports from the last few weeks. As much as he liked being a cop, he hated the paperwork. He became a cop so he would have a legit career next to his hunting, not to mention the badge had helped him out of some situations that were though to explain.

Feeling tired of typing, Jake decided to grab some coffee and left his office. As he waited by the vending machine in the kitchen, Jake pondered about what happened this morning with Billie. She seemed distracted. He had been noticing it for a couple of days now. Just when they were finally able to have a normal, functioning relationship, she was acting weird. He thought admitting their feelings would make things better, but it only seemed to hold them back. What if they were not able to pull off the normal thing? What if they were too different or the age gap turned out to be bigger than he thought? He was ready for commitment, but maybe Billie was not.

When Jake returned to his office, he was surprised to see Billie leaning in his desk with a concerned look on her beautiful face.

"Hey." Jake said. "What are you doing here?"

"Something came up." Billie replied.

"What?" Jake asked.

"Remember how I told you about the twins?" Billie asked.

"The identical half-warlock criminal twins?" Jake asked with a frown. "How could I forget? I thought it was a bad joke first time you said it."

"I wish it was." Billie replied. "Anyway, apparently Duncan has been secretly meeting with one of them and now he believes they are in trouble."

"Why would Duncan be meeting..?" Jake started to ask, but then figured out the reason and did not really want to think about it. "Never mind. What kind of trouble?"

"We're not sure, but he wants us to find out and help them." Billie said.

"Why would you help them?" Jake asked. "Even if they are not completely evil, they are still criminals wanted in at least seven states across the country. It sounds like they just bit off more than they could chew."

"Exactly what I was thinking, but still, Duncan is my friend and he really cares about Nathan." Billie explained reluctantly. "After everything he and Vi did for me, I owe him."

"I get it." Jake replied. "So what is the plan?"

"Well, Violet got a premonition about this freaky casino, so that's our first stop." Billie said.

"Okay, you want me to get the tickets?" Jake asked.

"Tickets?" Billie asked confused.

"For the plane of course." Jake replied.

"Oh, we just figured we'd use a teleportation potion." Billie replied with a shrug. "You don't have to go through all that trouble."

"So when are we leaving?" Jake asked.

"Wait, you want to come?" Billie asked surprised.

"Of course, isn't that why you came over?" Jake asked. "If this is something criminal, you will need me to find out more. I am an inspector, remember?"

"Right." Billie said hesitantly. "I just came over to tell you, isn't that what people who are dating are supposed to do? I did not expect you to come with me."

"Is this really about the twins thing or do we have to talk about something else?" Jake asked as he crossed his arms.

"What do you mean?" Billie asked.

"Do you really think I wouldn't notice you acting weird the last couple of days?" Jake asked. "People who are dating are also supposed to talk to each other as well."

"But there's nothing to talk about." Billie said quickly. "Everything is fine."

"Okay." Jake replied somewhat doubtfully. "So when do we leave?"

"Tonight." Billie said. "Meet you at my dorm?"

"Sure." Jake replied.

Billie nodded and briefly kissed him before leaving. Jake sighed and leaned against his head while rubbing his temples. There was definitely something going on with Billie, he could feel it in the way she kissed him. Her mind was elsewhere, but did that mean she was just distracted or was she just not interested anymore? Perhaps a chance to work together again was exactly what they needed. After all, that is how they fell for each other in the first place.

Xxx

At his dorm room, Duncan was packing some magical supplies, which became increasingly difficult to hide with his new roommate poking around. Although they were a little unwilling, he was glad his friends had agreed to help. With the help of Violet's premonition, they now had a place to start searching. The Three Wishes, a strange name for a casino. Perhaps he should do some investigating on his own before they went there and got lured into a trap.

Duncan sat down on his bed with his legs crossed. He closed his eyes and focused on the location in his mind, the Three Wishes. He felt his consciousness leave his body and astral projected to where he wanted to go.

In an orange glow, Duncan appeared the empty hallway of what looked like a casino. He looked around and noticed an Arabic theme. It suited the name, so he was at least in the right place. He walked down the hallway and arrived in a large hall filled with slot machines and gamblers.

"You shouldn't be here." someone said.

Duncan turned around and saw a cloud of pale red smoke rise from the ground. A petite woman with long dark brown hair and olive skin appeared, dressed in a red harem outfit. When Duncan noticed the gold chains on her neck and wrists, he realized what she was, a Genie.

"Who are you?" Duncan asked.

"My name is Zahara." The Genie replied. "You must leave."

"Why? Do you know why I'm here?" Duncan asked.

"You seek someone. They always do." Zahara replied. "But in the end, they all end up losing themselves."

"What is going on here?" Duncan asked. "This is no ordinary casino, is it?"

"No." Zahara said with a saddened look.

"Why are you here? Are you involved in this?" Duncan asked.

"I am bound here, like so many others." Zahara explained. "Please, before they discover you are here, you must leave and never return."

"I can't do that." Duncan said. "Someone that I care about is stuck here. You must have seen him or his brother."

"The brothers, the warlocks?" Zahara asked with a frown.

"Do you know where they are?" Duncan asked.

Before Zahara could answer his question, one of the doors in the hallway opened and several large and muscular man in robes and turbans came running out. When they spotted Duncan, they pointed and screamed as they ran at him. Zahara turned around and pushed Duncan, causing him to lose balance. He fell and his concentration was broken, causing his astral self to disappear before he could hit the ground.

With a gasp, Duncan returned to his physical body and painfully fell off his bed. Whatever was going on in that casino, there was magic involved. But was this mysterious Genie a victim like the twins, or was she somehow involved with it all?

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches

Part 3

Xxx

After meeting with some demonic high rollers, Carson Mayer, the manager of the Three Wishes casino, returned to his longue area and sat down at his favorite table. As soon as he sat down, a beautiful waitress came over and put down his favorite drink. Carson took a sip and watched one of the exotic dancers on stage working the pole. This casino was a dream come true, a paradise that was completely under his control. The door opened and one of his large and burly henchmen, who served both as dealers and security guards, came walking up to him holding a laptop.

"Sir, we may have a situation." The henchman said.

"What is it?" Carson asked annoyed.

"You better see for yourself." The henchman replied.

The henchman put down the laptop and a video started playing. It was shot by one of the security cameras hidden all over the casino. It showed an empty hallway, until a young man with brown hair suddenly appeared out of thin air. Carson, who had just taken another sip of his drink, spat it out and coughed. His waitress quickly brought him a napkin.

"What the hell am I looking at?" Carson asked annoyed as he dapped his suit.

"Keep watching, sir." The henchman said.

Carson turned his attention back to the screen and saw a beautiful woman with long dark hair appear in a cloud of smoke. He recognized her all too well. That damned Genie.

"Sahara!" Carson called out furiously.

A cloud of red smoke rose up from the ceiling and Sahara appeared with a bow. As he was her master, she was bound to him and claimed to be loyal, but Carson doubted that. She would surely betray him if given the chance.

"Care to tell me what this is?" Carson asked as he turned the laptop to her.

"It is a portable computer, my master." Sahara said.

Carson did not know whether she was messing with him or if she was truly this ignorant. He did not care either way. He snapped his finger and his henchman grabbed the Genie and twisted her arm, forcing her to her knees as she cried out in pain.

"Remember you cannot hurt me, Genie." Carson warned her. "Now tell me who the boy is."

"I do not know who he is, honestly." Sahara replied. "But I know what he is. He is a witch, my master. He astral projected here."

"What is he after?" Carson asked.

"He was looking for someone, master." Sahara said. "A loved one perhaps, one of the many to have lost their souls in your casino."

"I need a name." Carson demanded and nodded, causing the henchman to twist the Genie's arm even further.

"I… Please…" Sahara begged through her cries. "The twins… The warlocks…"

"Dammit!" Carson called out as he threw his glass, shattering it on the floor as he got up. "I knew those little rats would be trouble. We should have killed them the moment they attempted to rob me."

"Please, sir!" Sahara cried out.

"Let her go." Carson said with a hand wave.

The henchman let go and the Genie fell on the floor, cradling her painful arm as she cried softly. For an all-powerful, wish-granting creature, she was nothing but a weak woman. Carson could not believe she was once feared for her power. All she needed was the right method of control. Sahara wiped her tears and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, presumably retreating to her bottle.

"Do you want me to get rid of the witches?" The henchman asked.

"Not yet." Carson said as he thought about his options. "I want to know exactly what we're dealing with. Get me one of them and meet me in the dungeon. We'll get some answers."

A little while later, Carson stepped into the secret dungeon underneath the casino where the newly acquired souls were kept. Most were auctioned off to various demons and evil beings, while the pretty ones were put to work in the casino. Carson enjoyed having beautiful things around for his personal entertainment, plus they helped lure in new victims.

The dungeon was dark and wide, with cold concrete and few lights. There were no windows and no way to escape. The ones who lost his games were kept in cages until the time was right to sell them. He did not care about these people, all he cared about was making a fortune and living in his own little paradise. As he walked past the cages, something grabbed his leg. Carson turned around and saw it was Thomas Ward, the investor whose soul he had won yesterday.

"Please." Thomas begged. "Let me out. Give me another chance!"

One of Carson's henchman poked Thomas with a cattle prod, zapping him with a jolt of electricity. He cried in pain and retreated into his cage. Unimpressed, Carson kept walking. When he entered another room in the dungeon, also known as the torture room, he saw his henchmen had secured one of the twins in a metal chair. As troublesome as the twins were, they were a fine addition to his collection.

"Remind me again, which one are you?" Carson asked.

"Nathan." The warlock said angrily as he struggled against his restraints.

"I am wondering something, Nathan." Carson said. "Why would a witch be poking around my casino?"

The warlock's eyes widened for a moment, though he quickly tried to hide it. "I don't know." He lied unconvincingly.

"See, I know you're lying to me." Carson said. "Now either you can just tell me, or my associate over here will be forced to torture you until I get the answer I want."

"I'm not telling you anything!" Nathan said.

"Were you somehow able to call for help?" Carson asked.

When the warlock refused to answer, Carson nodded at his henchman, who zapped him with a cattle prod. Nathan screamed out in pain until the henchman stopped. He breathed heavily as he looked at Carson with a hateful look.

"What does he know? What kind of powers does he have? Is he alone?" Carson asked.

Nathan still refused to answer. The henchman zapped him again and he screamed out again. However, he kept refusing to answer. The interrogation continued, but after a while, Carson got bored. He hated coming to the dungeon and wasting his time. Torture was messy, something that was better kept behind the scenes. Perhaps he needed to hire someone to handle this kind of dirty work. He ordered his henchman to keep going until he got an answer and left.

Xxx

In an alley just behind the Las Vegas strip, four columns of smoke rose up from the ground as the Chosen and Jake appeared through the teleportation potions. Billie looked around to make sure nobody had seen them and turned to her friends. She still could not believe Duncan had been so reckless to astral project here on his own, but at least they now knew where the casino was. The fact that a Genie was involved made things more complicated. Genies were powerful and unpredictable, not to be trusted. They needed to be careful.

The four of them left the alley and headed down the street. They soon spotted the casino and stopped across the street, hiding behind a few palm trees. Billie spotted women at the door dressed in very tacky costumes. Naturally, they lured in a lot of male gamblers.

"Alright, we made it." Billie said.

"So now what?" Violet asked.

"We head for the casino." Duncan said.

"And what? Just storm in?" Jake asked with a frown. "You need a plan. We need to know what we're dealing with."

"We already know a Genie is involved." Violet reasoned. "She is the one who pushed me out of my premonition and the one who warned Duncan."

"But Genies don't operate alone. Someone is always controlling them." Billie replied. "Every Genie has a master."

"We need to find out who that is." Jake added.

"So what do you suggest?" Duncan asked.

"Split up, find out what is going on at this casino." Jake said. "We'll draw less suspicion and cover more ground."

"Okay." Duncan said. "But we shouldn't go alone, we should split up in pairs."

"Agreed, and we don't act until we're absolutely sure what we're dealing with." Jake said as he looked at Billie. "Meaning no rash actions."

"Why are you looking at me when you're saying that?" Billie asked suspiciously.

"No reason." Jake replied.

"Right, so I think you and Duncan should go in first." Billie said. "We'll follow."

"Oh…" Jake said a little disappointed. "Are you sure about that?"

"I think so. I mean, look at those women at the door." Billie said quickly. "Obviously, they would much sooner talk to two single guys than a couple. They might know something."

"Right." Jake replied skeptically.

"Look, I don't care." Duncan said. "I just want to go in and find out what is going on."

"Alright, let's just do it." Jake agreed.

"One more thing." Billie said.

Billie moves closer to Jake and took off his jacket. She then pulled his shirt out of his pants and unbuttoned the top buttons. Finally, she slightly messed up his neatly combed hair to make it seem more casual. Jake looked at her with a frown as she handed him back his jacket.

"You looked too much like a cop." Billie explained with a shrug. "Keep in touch, and remember to use the teleportation potions in case of emergency. We'll rendezvous outside in an hour."

Jake nodded and he and Duncan crossed the street. Billie felt a bit guilty about the arrangement she made. Although her reasoning about splitting up made sense, it was not the real reason she came up with it. Actually, she was just afraid that if they were alone together, it would lead to another awkward talk she did not want to have. By sending Jake off with Duncan, she could just focus on the mission at hand instead of her crumbling relationship.

"Looks like you were right." Violet remarked.

Billie looked across the street and saw that the scantily clad women were all over Jake and Duncan, flirting and touching them while trying to lure them inside. Billie noticed Jake was perhaps playing the role a little too well and felt a bit jealous. What was that all about? When Jake and Duncan headed into the casino, Billie nudged Violet and they followed them.

Xxx

When Duncan entered the casino with a free chip in his hand, he instantly placed it in his pocket. He was not here to gamble or have fun, he was here to find Nathan. He looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone seemed to be happily gambling their money away and drinking a lot. A waitress came walking up to Duncan and Jake and offered them both a bright blue drink. Not wanting to draw attention, they both accepted it and headed further in the casino. When Duncan looked over his shoulder, he saw Billie and Violet enter and head another direction.

"Where should we start?" Duncan asked.

"Perhaps we should ask around." Jake said.

When a waitress walked past them, Duncan gently grabbed her arm. She stopped and turned to them. Duncan noticed she had a golden collar around her neck and arms.

"Sorry, we're actually looking for some friends of ours." Duncan said as he grabbed his phone. "We were supposed to meet them here."

"What do they look like?" the waitress asked.

"Well, they're twins. About my height, athletic, with light brown hair." Duncan explained.

"Sorry. I can't help you." The waitress said nervously and quickly walked away.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Jake asked.

"She seemed pretty nervous." Duncan replied.

"She wasn't nervous, she was scared." Jake corrected him. "Whatever is going on here, the staff clearly knows it. Take a look around, see anything interesting?"

Duncan turned and looked around the hall. Aside from the gamblers, he noticed that all dealers wore the same dark blue robes, while the waiters and waitresses were dressed in revealing, colorful harem clothes. He also noticed they all had the same golden collars, just like the Genie.

"Oh my god." Duncan said. "They are not employees. They're slaves. What the hell is going on?"

"Something very bad." Jake said. "I did some research before we came here. Up until about a year ago, nobody had ever even heard of the Three Wishes casino. It literally came out of nowhere."

"What are you saying?" Duncan asked.

"Well, we know there is a Genie here." Jake reasoned. "A casino appearing out of nowhere, the staff being enslaved, people gambling like there is no tomorrow. It all seems a little…"

"Wrong." Duncan concluded. "So you think that the Genie created this place and is keeping people trapped here? Who would wish that?"

"A gambling addict? Someone looking to become rich?" Jake suggested.

"Or something not mortal at all." Duncan added.

Duncan felt a little overwhelmed. Clearly, this thing was much bigger than he ever anticipated. Whatever the twins had gotten themselves into, it was bad. Feeling a bit thirsty, Duncan brought the glass with the blue drink to his lips, though Jake grabbed his arm before he could take a sip.

"What the hell?" Duncan asked annoyed.

"Pay attention." Jake said. "Look around again, not only is every waitress wearing a collar, they are all handing out the exact same drink. What if the drink is making them gamble?"

"You think it is some kind of potion?" Duncan asked.

"You're the witch. Can't you find out?" Jake replied.

"I might." Duncan said. "Follow me."

Duncan took his drink and headed to the back of the hall to find a bathroom. He knew a spell that would allow him to find the exact purpose of this drink. However, before he could reach the bathroom, he suddenly spotted a familiar face through the crowd.

Duncan quickly ran over to the bar and grabbed Nathan by the arm. However, when he turned around, Duncan quickly realized it was not Nathan, but Nick. He could tell by the subtle differences in their faces. Nick seemed surprised to see him and quickly looked around for trouble. When the coast was clear, a smirk appeared on his face.

"Well, thank god you can keep us apart." Nick remarked. "For a moment there, I was afraid you were going to kiss me."

Xxx

Across the casino, Violet and Billie walked through a crowd of people in a hall filled with slot machines. Violet had never been in a casino before, so she had no idea what she was looking for. When someone bumped into her, she stopped for a moment, and when she looked up, she had lost sight of Billie. A waiter with a charming smile appeared next to her.

"Drink?" He asked.

"Sure." Violet replied.

Violet grabbed the pretty blue drink and took a sip. It tasted like heaven. She looked around for Billie again, but still could not find her. The flashing lights for the slot machines were too distracting. She then stared at the free chip in her hand and smiled. She headed to a slot machine, put in the chip and pulled the lever.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches

Part 4

Xxx

As they walked down a long hallway, Duncan repeatedly looked over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed. He noticed that Jake, who was walking behind him, had his hand on the gun sticking out of his belt. Nick was leading them to a safe place where they could talk, as according to him, the casino had eyes and ears everywhere. Eventually, they entered an empty stairwell. After making sure that nobody was around, Nick turned to the others.

"Okay, start talking." Duncan said. "What the hell is going on?"

"So I assume you got our telepathic call?" Nick asked.

"No, we just happen to be on a vacation." Duncan remarked sarcastically. "Of course I got your call."

"Sorry, I wasn't sure it was going to work." Nick replied with a shrug. "Normally, Nate and I can only communicate with each other."

"Where is Nathan?" Duncan asked.

"I don't know. We don't always work the same shifts." Nick said. "Sometimes we go days without seeing each other."

"Why are you even here?" Jake asked impatiently.

"You think I want to be here?" Nick called out as he pointed at the golden collar on his neck and wrists. "You think these are just accessories? I'm trapped here in this stupid outfit."

"We figured." Duncan said. "He meant how did you guys end up here?"

"That's a long story." Nick replied. "I think you know how it started. About three months ago, Nathan confronted me, said it was time to end our little operation."

"You mean using your powers to win at gambling?" Duncan said. "Yeah, I know."

"Right, well, apparently whatever you said to him had an impact." Nick said. "He was suddenly talking about doing the right thing and stuff like that."

"And you didn't want to?" Duncan asked skeptically.

"I got what he was saying." Nick replied casually. "I didn't want to spent the rest of my life stealing scraps either. But we had a good thing going, so I wanted to end with a bang. I heard about this new casino, best odds in the city. I proposed one more hit, one last chance to win big. Then we could go legit."

"Guess that didn't work out as planned." Jake remarked.

"Hardly." Nick said. "We had no idea what was going on in this place. We thought it was just a casino like any other, but we were wrong."

"What happened?" Duncan asked.

"We were up to our old tricks at first, using telepathy to win." Nick explained. "But we could feel something strange was going on. We were about to quit, but then we heard about this high stake game in the back. VIPs only."

"So you got greedy." Jake concluded.

"I guess we did. Or at least I did." Nick admitted. "I got Nate to go along with it. We were winning, the manager was pissed, but then this hot chick suddenly appeared and exposed us."

"A genie?" Duncan asked.

"I guess, she looked the part, and she was gorgeous." Nick replied. "Either way, the manager called his guards. We tried to fight them, but those guys are not normal. They're demons. They knocked us out. Next thing we knew, we woke up with these collars on. The manager discussed auctioning us off, but he decided to keep us, said we fitted nicely in his collection. That creep."

"So this manager? Any idea what we're dealing with?" Jake asked.

"His name is Carson." Nick said. "Other than the fact that he controls the Genie, I know nothing about him."

"Do you know anything else that could help?" Duncan asked.

"Dude, I have been trapped here for three months." Nick called out. "If I knew something that would help us get out, I would tell you!"

"It sounds to me like this Genie is the key to everything." Jake said. "And if there is a Genie, there is a bottle. Any idea where this manager could keep it?"

"He has a penthouse suit on the top floor." Nick said. "He occasionally takes his slaves up there for some entertainment, if you know what I mean. It has to be either there or in the casino vault, which is in the dungeon."

"What if we just confront the manager?" Duncan asked.

"That would be a huge mistake." Nick said. "He has an army of demons and a personal Genie. You won't stand a chance."

"Sounds like we know what to do." Jake said.

"Right, if this Carson is really this dangerous, we should find the bottle." Duncan agreed. "We'll go meet the girls and discuss the plan."

"What should I do?" Nick asked. "I can't leave the casino."

"Keep doing your job. It will look suspicious if you disappear." Jake said. "But try to find your brother in the meantime."

"Can't you sense his location?" Duncan asked.

"I think so, the connection becomes weaker the further we're apart." Nick explained. "I'll try."

Nick closed his eyes and focused. Suddenly he cried out in pain and fell on his knees as he reached for his head. Duncan quickly kneeled down and helped him up. Whatever happened, Duncan knew it could not be a good sign.

"What happened?" Duncan asked.

"Nate is in pain. They're hurting him! I have to help him!" Nick said as he tried to leave.

"Wait!" Duncan said as he grabbed his arm. "If you do something rash now, you will expose us all!"

"I don't care!" Nick replied angrily as he shoved him aside. "Get out of my way! I won't let anyone hurt my little brother!"

"Look, I am trying to help him too!" Duncan said as he followed him into the hallway. "You called us for help, so let us help."

"Why the hell should I trust you?!" Nick snapped at him as he turned around.

"Because you're not the only one who cares about him." Duncan replied.

Nick stopped and seemed to consider his words as he calmed down a bit. At that moment, a door at the end of the hall flew open and two of the demonic henchmen walked in. Apparently, their argument had been a little louder than they realized. Duncan quickly conjured a Bursting Ball and threw the metallic sphere at them. It combusted on the ground and filled the hallway with smoke. Jake ran out of the stairway with his gun drawn just as more henchmen ran in.

"There are too many of them." Jake said. "We should split up. You two find Nathan, I will find the girls and get the bottle."

"Got it." Duncan relied.

As Jake ran off in the opposite direction of the henchmen, Duncan conjured a crossbow and pressed it in Nick's hands. He then conjured another Bursting Ball and threw it at the demons. He hit one and he was vanquished in a fiery blast. Nick fired the crossbow and vanquished another one before they both ran back into the stairwell and headed down the stairs.

Xxx

On the other side of the casino, Billie forced her way through the crowd as she looked for Violet. She had lost sight of her friend for one second and now she had disappeared in the sea of people. Whatever was going on in this casino, there was something unnatural about it. People were gambling everything away like mindless zombies. There had to be some kind of magic involved. A waitress appeared to offer her a drink, but she refused and kept on walking.

Billie noticed a lot of commotion around one of the slot machines. She ignored it until she suddenly saw a flash of red hair through the crowd. She made her way through and saw it was Violet sitting behind the slot machine. She was cheering as hundreds of coins rolled out of the flashing machine as an alarm went off. Apparently, she had won the jackpot.

"Violet, what the hell?" Billie asked as she grabbed her arm. "We didn't come here to gamble."

"Billie! Oh my god. I won!" Violet called out excited before taking a sip of a blue drink. "This place is amazing!"

Billie stared at the blue drink and suddenly figured it out. The drink was affecting people, making them lose their common sense and keep on gambling. She knocked the glass out of her friend's hand and tried to drag her away from the machine.

"What are you doing?!" Violet asked angrily. "I am winning!"

"No, you're not." Billie replied. "Look at yourself. This is not like you. It's this place, the drink, it is affecting you!"

"But I am winning!" Violet argued. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Vi, snap out of it." Billie said. "Try to remember why we came here."

"We came to… Have fun?" Violet asked doubtfully as she looked around. "I'm thirsty, I need another drink."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Billie replied.

"I don't care, leave me alone!" Violet said.

"Vi, try to focus. We came here to save the twins." Billie said. "There is something evil going on here and it is affecting your judgment. It makes you want to gamble."

"I like to gamble. I like to win!" Violet replied with a confused frown.

"Oh, please, like you have ever been in a casino before." Billie remarked. "You're an amazing person, kind and gentle, but not exactly big on the risk-taking."

"You clearly don't know me." Violet replied.

"You clearly don't know yourself anymore." Billie said impatiently. "Now come on, we've leaving before you get yourself in trouble."

Billie tried to drag Violet away, but she held on to the chair by the slot machine and screamed. Suddenly, a large and burly security guard in a dark robe showed up. He grabbed Billie by the arm and forced her to release Violet.

"Is this woman bothering you, miss?" the guard asked.

"Yes." Violet said. "She clearly doesn't want me to win."

"Alright, missy, let's go." The guard said.

The guard started dragging Billie away and she struggled and screamed at Violet. However, her friend was already too much under the influence of the magical drink and turned her back on her. Billie saw a waiter hand Violet another drink as she sat down and continued playing the slots. Eventually, the guard had taken Billie to the main entrance and threw her out on the street.

"Dammit." Billie cursed as she got up and grabbed her phone. Before she could call, though, she saw Jake walking up to her.

"Billie, are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"I'm fine, the big oaf didn't hurt me." Billie replied. "Why are you outside, where is Duncan?"

"We ran into trouble. We had to split up, but he's with Nick." Jake said. "Where is Violet?"

"I lost her." Billie admitted reluctantly.

Billie quickly explained what happened, how she believed Violet had been affected by the drink and how she was thrown out. Jake confirmed her suspicions when he told her what he and Duncan had discussed with Nick before the demonic guards showed up. Billie realized they had gotten themselves in a quite a mess. The solution seemed simple, but was undoubtedly a lot more complicated than it seemed. Whatever was going on, they needed to get their hands on the Genie bottle to fix it.

Xxx

As they headed down the stairs, Duncan kept looking at the numbers of the floors and wondered how far down they could go. This dungeon was apparently deep underground, under the parking garage, maintenance floors and more. It was probably deep down so nobody would ever stumble upon it by accident. Nathan was down there, getting tortured. Was it because of Duncan's earlier visit to the casino? Had the Genie betrayed him and informed her master who he was looking for? Whatever the reason, they had to free him.

"We're here." Nick said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "The dungeon."

"Have you been here before?" Duncan asked.

"Not by choice." Nick replied. "All new people are brought down here to be evaluated. Then they are either auctioned off or trained as staff."

"Is everyone tortured?" Duncan asked.

"Not if you're a fast learner." Nick said. "We figured that out pretty quickly, so we went along with everything until we could find a way out."

"You think Nathan is okay?" Duncan asked.

"Of course. He is tough." Nick replied with a shrug. "He's my brother, after all."

"You're really close." Duncan noted.

"We've only ever had each other." Nick said. "Then there is the whole twin telepathy thing."

"Can you always read each other's minds?" Duncan asked.

"Only if we're both willing." Nick explained. "We can't read each other if the other doesn't want to. Which is a good thing, since that can lead to awkward moments."

"What do you.." Duncan started to ask, but then stopped when he saw Nick frowning at him. He got the hint. "Never mind. That would be awkward."

"So you and my brother. Is that serious?" Nick asked.

Duncan hesitated, as he was not sure he was entirely comfortable discussing this. Especially with a protective twin brother. "I don't know… I think so." He eventually said. "I care about him a lot."

"Good." Nick replied casually.

"So you're cool with the gay thing?" Duncan asked.

"Of course. Why should I care?" Nick remarked. "It doesn't bother me. Besides, like being magical, you don't really have a choice in the matter."

"That is really open-minded." Duncan said somewhat surprised.

"What? You think because I'm a thief and a jerk, I can't be open-minded?" Nick asked with a raised eyebrow. When Duncan fell silent, he laughed. "Relax, I'm just kidding. Let's go save my brother."

"Do we have a plan?" Duncan asked.

"Uh, I was thinking, we burst in, get Nate and get out, and vanquish as many demons along the way as we can." Nick said with a smile.

"Brilliant." Duncan replied with an eye roll. "What about the bottle?"

"The more that I think about it, the more I think it's in the penthouse." Nick said. "Carson is a douche and a little paranoid. He'll want to keep it close."

"Okay, let's do this." Duncan said.

Nick nodded and Duncan held out his hand, conjuring a crossbow he handed to Nick. He then turned to the door and conjured a Bursting Ball, which he threw at the door. The metallic sphere combusted upon impact and destroyed the door. They ran through and found themselves in a large, open space of concrete and metal. Immediately, demons came running up. They managed to vanquish several of them with their weapons and made their way through the dungeon. Eventually, they burst through another door and found Nathan strapped in a chair being tortured with a cattle prod. Duncan threw a metallic sphere and the demon exploded.

"What took you so long?" Nathan asked with a faint smile as he tried to conceal the pain he was in.

Duncan wanted to run over to him, but suddenly the Genie appeared between them in a puff of red smoke.

"I'm sorry. My master is requesting your presence." Sahara said.

The Genie extended her hand and a glittering red powder was released from her palm. Both Duncan and Nick were hit and inhaled it before they realized what was going on. Duncan instantly felt his body become limp and fell into a deep sleep.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches

Part 5

Xxx

When the elevator door opened, Billie carefully peeked around the corner. Luckily, the hall was deserted and there were no guards in sight. She and Jake quickly left the elevator and walked down the hallway. Billie noticed Jake constantly had his hand on his gun. She considered telling him it would be worthless against demons, though she decided against it. He probably felt more secure with his gun. She guessed it was a guy thing.

"It's a shame we couldn't take the elevator directly to the penthouse." Billie said.

"That would have drawn too much attention." Jake said. "Besides, I bet you'd need a keycard to even get the door to open."

"It's a shame this building is infested with demons." Billie said as she looked at a painting. "It is actually quite beautiful."

"You don't think the Arabic there is a little tacky?" Jake asked.

"Please, if you think this is tacky, you should have seen the outfit I wore at the start of my wiccan days." Billie remarked dryly.

"Perhaps we should plan a real weekend away some time." Jake said. "Go to a nice hotel."

"Uh, yeah, maybe." Billie replied reluctantly.

"Alright, that's it." Jake said as he stopped and turned to her. "Are we ever going to talk about what is going on between us?"

"You want to do this now?" Billie asked. "While we're in the middle of a demonic casino and my friends are in danger?"

"Wait, here." Jake said.

Jake grabbed Billie by the hand and guided her to a small longue area overlooking the strip. He closed the door as Billie stared at the view and realized there was no more avoiding it. She needed to come clear about how she felt. They both needed to see what was going on.

"I thought it could wait, but it can't." Jake said. "I know it is unprofessional, but I won't be able to focus unless I know the truth. So no more distractions or stalling. Just tell me."

"Alright." Billie said after taking a deep breath. "Things just don't feel right."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jake asked with a frown. "We circled around each other for months, and now that we're finally together, it feels wrong?"

"Not wrong." Billie. "But not exactly right either."

"That makes no sense, Billie." Jake said annoyed. "What is it about? Is it about the age difference? Are we moving too fast, are you afraid to settle?"

"Is that that you think?" Billie asked surprised. "No, it is nothing like that."

"Then explain it to me." Jake said.

"When we met, I was drawn to you. You were hot and mysterious, dangerous even." Billie said. "I think part of me liked that, the excitement. I felt this passion when we were together. But…"

"But you don't feel that anymore?" Jake asked.

"I'm not sure." Billie admitted. "Now that we're dating, doing normal stuff, it just doesn't feel the same. I think that excitement is gone."

"Billie, that's supposed to happen in a normal relationship." Jake said. "Sooner or later, the excitement is over and then the real stuff begins."

"I don't think I am there yet." Billie replied as she turned away and looked out of the window. "It is all very confusing right now."

"It's really not." Jake said as she came standing next to her. "It is actually very simple. I know I said I'm not the talking and feeling kind of guy, but I need to know. One question. Do you love me?"

As they both stood by the window overlooking the amazing view of Las Vegas, Billie felt her heart pound. Now was the moment of truth, but she was not even sure she knew the answer. Could she see herself spending the rest of her life with Jake? Did she truly love him? As she searched her soul, she was suddenly reminded of her vision quest months ago. Everyone she cared about had been there is one way or another. Except for Jake. Was that a sign?

"I… don't love you, Jake." Billie eventually said with tears in her eyes. "I don't think what we shared was real love. I think it was lust, passion. I felt drawn to you because it was dangerous. It felt good because we both knew it was wrong."

"I see." Jake replied in a monotone voice. "So it was just the witch and the hunter? Dating the enemy?"

"Yeah." Billie said.

"Well, at least you're finally honest about it." Jake said.

"So what happens now?" Billie asked.

"Now we go save your friends." Jake replied. "Now that we both know where we stand, we can just get this done. We can figure out everything else once we're back home."

"Okay." Billie said somewhat surprised. "So you will still help us?"

"Of course." Jake said. "There is something evil going on here. It needs to stop. That has nothing to do with us."

"Alright." Billie said. "Let's go."

Jake nodded and left the lounge, leaving Billie standing there rather speechless. She had not really expected this. She figured he would have gotten angry, yelled at her or something. He didn't seem to react at all, like it was dealt with already. She was stunned. However, she had little time to think about it. She knew they still had to save their friends. She shook it off and followed Jake.

Xxx

After climbing a few stairs in uncomfortable silence, Billie and Jake finally reached the top floor. The only thing there was the penthouse. The bottle had to be in there somewhere. The just needed to find it and get out. Simple as that. They headed to the door and Jake grabbed his gun.

"Are you ready?" Jake asked.

"I'm ready." Billie said. "You do know guns don't work on demons, don't you?"

"These do." Jake replied as he put a silencer on the gun. "They've got magical symbols carved into them. Just a hunter's trick."

"Like the anti-magic amulets?" Billie asked.

"Something like that." Jake replied.

"Alright, let's go." Billie said.

Billie headed to the door and extended her hand, telekinetically slamming it open. As soon as they entered the penthouse, two demonic guards in dark robes came running at them. Billie threw one across the room with her power, while Jake shot the other in the chest. He fell down and disappeared in flames. Meanwhile, the other one jumped up and threw an Energy Ball. Billie easily deviated it and vanquished him with it.

"Not much security here." Billie said. "Let's find the bottle."

"Don't bother." A voice sounded from behind them.

Billie spun around and saw a handsome man in a grey suit entering the penthouse, accompanied by a small army of demonic guards. As they entered, one of them closed the door while the others surrounded them and took Jake's gun. Meanwhile, the handsome man, who had to be Carson the manager, poured himself a drink and sat down in a chair.

"You and your friends have become quite a disturbance in my little oasis." Carson said.

"Sorry to bother you." Billie remarked. "Just let my friends and everyone else go and we'll be on our way."

"Amusing." Carson replied. "But that is not going to happen. I worked hard to get everything I wanted."

"You worked hard?" Billie said. "You made a couple of wishes. I doubt you had to lift a finger. How did you get the bottle anyway?"

"I won it in a poker game off some demon." Carson replied. "And making wishes is actually harder than you might think. I had to carefully consider every word to get exactly what I wanted without consequences. Can you believe I achieved all of this with just two wishes?"

"That's impossible." Jake said.

"Not if you carefully strategize your wishes and make full use of your contacts." Carson said. "You wouldn't believe the things you can get done if you get the right souls to the right demons."

"What kind of despicable creature would sell off souls like that?" Billie asked.

"What? You think I'm some kind of magical thing? Like you?" Carson replied with a smirk. "Sorry to disappoint, missy. I am completely human."

"That only makes you more despicable." Billie said disgusted. "A human treating other people like this? How do you live with yourself?"

"Quite comfortably." Carson replied. "And this is nothing new, humanity has always traded in slavery. It is still happening all over the world."

"Well, I think you definitely reached a new low." Billie said angrily.

Billie squinted her eyes and Carson was thrown from his chair, landing on a small table. Immediately, one of the demons hit Billie across the face and she fell down. Jake tried to attack, but was held down by two demons. The demon lifted Billie up and wanted to hit again.

"Enough!" Carson yelled as he got up. "I don't want them harmed. They will be far more valuable unharmed."

"What does that mean? Billie asked concerned.

"It means I will be auctioning you off to the highest bidder." Carson replied. "I am sure a lot of demons will pay a high price for a powerful witch like you."

"We still have friends out there looking for us." Billie said.

"I highly doubt that." Carson said with a confident smile.

Carson snapped his finger and a cloud of red smoke appeared next to him. The Genie, a beautiful woman with black hair, appeared and bowed to him. Next to her, three more clouds of red smoke appeared and Duncan and the twins appeared on the floor, all unconscious. At the same time, the door opened and a guard came in with Violet on his arm. She was laughing, apparently still under influence of the magical drinks. For the first time, Billie felt really scared. All her friends were captured. There seemed no way out.

Xxx

When Duncan woke up, he found himself trapped in a cage in a dark and cold room. He instantly recognized it as the dungeon and sat up. He remembered finding Nathan being tortured and the Genie appearing. Then he somehow fell asleep.

"Hey." A familiar voice sounded.

Duncan turned around and saw Nathan sitting in the cage next to him. He quickly moved closer, but the cages were too far apart to be able to touch him.

"Are you okay?" Duncan asked.

"I'm fine." Nathan replied. "I'm glad to see you. I wasn't sure you'd get the message. Or if you would come when you found out what we did."

"Are you kidding me?" Duncan asked. "Of course I came."

"Even though you know we got ourselves in this mess?" Nathan asked. "I do really want to change, Duncan. I don't want to steal my entire life, but changing is not easy."

"I don't care about that." Duncan said. "I mean, at least not right now. The most important thing is getting out of here. Everything else can wait. Where are the others?"

"Over here." Billie called out.

Duncan looked over his shoulder and saw Billie was in the cage on the other side of him. Violet was in the cage behind her, still asleep, and Jake was behind her. Duncan looked to the other side and saw Nick was in the cage next to his brother. They all had their own little prison, how perfect. When Duncan felt something on his wrist, he suddenly noticed he had the same gold collar as the twins, meaning he could not access his powers.

"Guess the rescue didn't work out the way we planned." Duncan remarked.

"Aw, what happened?" Violet asked groggy as she woke up. "My head is killing me."

"Yeah, you got drunk on magical drinks and gambled your soul away." Billie remarked.

"Oh God!" Violet called out. "I remember now. It is so weird, I know it was me, but I felt like a completely different person."

"Sounds like you were just drunk." Nick remarked from the other side.

"That would explain the massive hangover." Violet replied reluctantly. "I'm never drinking again."

"Funny, I was just about to suggest we need a drink." Billie said.

"Enough joking around." Jake said harshly. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm open to suggestions." Billie said. "We're a little powerless."

"Wait." Duncan suddenly said and turned to Nathan. "You were able to reach us telepathically, even though you wore the collars, right?"

"Right, but how is that helpful now?" Nathan asked confused.

"Obviously, the collars don't work on psychic abilities." Duncan reasoned. "So I might be able to astral project out of here."

"Well, looks like that smug lunatic is not as clever as he thinks he is." Billie remarked.

"Or the collars were never intended for witches in the first place." Jake added. "I think there is a security office in the back. These cages must be controlled from there."

"Isn't there any security out here?" Violet asked.

"No, Carson is too arrogant for that." Nathan said. "He thinks he already won, so there is only one guard. He walks around once every hour."

"Speaking of which, the hour is almost up." Nick added. "If you can surprise him and knock him out, you can get the keys to the security office."

After discussing the plan, everyone waited in silence as the last minutes passed by. Duncan nervously tapped in fingers on the floor as he waited for the guard to show up.

"Hey." Nathan whispered, so soft the others would not be able to clearly understand him. "I know you can do this."

"Thanks." Duncan replied. "You know, I missed you."

"I missed you too." Nathan replied. "Being stuck here, I could not stop thinking about you."

"We'll get out of here soon." Duncan promised.

A door opened in the distance and they both fell silent. Duncan waited for the guard to come closer. Luckily, he was unarmed, but Billie had told him these demons were strong and could throw Energy Balls. He needed to be careful. When the guard walked past him, Duncan focused and his body fell unconscious. An astral version of him appeared behind the demon and slowly crept up on him. When he was close enough, he hit him over the head. However, the demon was unfazed and turned around to face him.

"Oh crap." Duncan said nervously.

The demon screamed angrily and charged at him. Duncan stumbled back and tripped. In a panic, he held out his hand and a crossbow appeared. The demon stopped and backed away. Duncan was shocked, as he had never been able to use his conjuring power in astral form. He quickly took advantage of this new development and fired at the demon, hitting him in the chest and vanquishing him. The keys fell on the floor.

"That was amazing." Nathan said proudly.

"Since when can you do that?" Billie asked.

"Does it matter?" Nick called out. "Get us the hell out of here."

Duncan nodded and quickly grabbed the keys. He ran to the security office and found the release for the cages. Not knowing which ones to open, he hit all the button, causing all the cages to open. Soon, the entire dungeon was filled with the people captured by Carson. Now it was time to end it.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches

Part 6

Xxx

After a long and exhausting day, Carson Meyer returned to his penthouse and closed the doors behind him. He poured himself a drink and headed to a large painting, where pressed a button on a remote in his pocket. The painting swung open and revealed a vault behind it. Carson opened the vault and pulled out the only thing inside, an ancient-looking Genie lamp embedded in red stones. As he stared at it, he realized how different his life had been a year earlier.

Back then he was broke, worth nothing. Having nothing to lose, he decided to risk it all and bet his soul. That was when he won the lamp and was finally able to make his dreams come true. However, things were not as easy as they seemed. Demons were lurking at his feet all the time, which was why he started auctioning souls to keep them content. He rather threw away the lives of others than his own. After all, he owed these people nothing. He had learned at an early age that the world was a cruel place, and the only way to survive was to be just as cruel. A cloud of red smoke appeared and Sahara appeared next to him, staring at her bottle.

"Look all you want, the bottle is still mine." Carson remarked. "As long as I have a third wish, I am still your master and you are loyal to me."

"Of course, master." Sahara replied. "Do you have a third wish?"

"Why should I bother?" Carson asked. "I already have everything I need."

"You have power and money." Sahara corrected him. "You can buy pleasure and beauty, but you cannot buy happiness. No friends, family or love."

"Love is useless." Carson replied. "Now be silent. Leave me."

"As you desire." Sahara said with a bow.

Sahara took a bow and was about to disappear when there was a knock on the door. Carson held up his hand, telling her to wait. One of Carson's demonic henchmen walked in.

"Usually when someone knocks, they wait for an invitation." Carson said annoyed.

"Sorry, sir." The henchman said. "But this is an emergency. We got a security alert in the dungeon."

"The witches?" Carson asked.

"Not just the witches, sir." The henchman replied. "Our system shows all the cages have been opened."

"How the hell did they get out?" Carson asked angrily.

"We don't know, sir, the cameras are down." The henchman replied.

"They must have used magic." Carson said as he turned to the Genie. "How is that possible? The collars are meant to prevent that."

"The collars were never designed to be used on witches, master." Sahara replied. "They were meant to prevent escape. They only control the body, not the mind."

"You did this on purpose." Carson said angrily. "You created a loophole to use against me."

"I could not have foreseen this." Sahara replied innocently. "You are my master, I would not work against you."

"You trickster." Carson snapped at her. You expect me to believe that?"

"It would appear your wishes were not as foolproof as you believed them to be." Sahara replied with a slight smirk.

"You will pay for this." Carson said. "Get back in your bottle!"

Sahara took a reluctant bow and turned to smoke before returning to her bottle. Carson walked to the vault and placed it inside. He then angrily slammed it shut.

"Sir, the witches?" The henchman asked.

"Kill them, kill them all." Carson replied.

The henchman bowed and left. Carson clenched his fist and angrily threw his glass against the wall. He was not going to give up his paradise because of some witches. He would rather see it all destroyed and take them down with it. He looked at the vault and realized he still had one wish. A crazed smile appeared on his lips. He still had a trump card left.

Xxx

In the dungeon, a frustrated Billie pulled at the golden collar around her neck. Aside from being ugly, the annoying things were cutting her off from her powers. She and her friends were powerless against an army of demons that were probably already heading their way. She gave up with a frustrated scream and headed back to the others. On the other side of the dungeon, Jake had gathered the other group of prisoners. Luckily, as an inspector, Jake was skilled at dealing with panicked people and managed to keep them calm.

"Any luck?" Billie asked when she joined Duncan, Violet and the twins, who were also trying to remove the collars.

"No, these things are impossible." Duncan replied.

"But you can astral project, and you can access your powers in astral form now, right?" Billie asked.

"I already tried using my powers to remove them." Duncan said. "But the Genie created them, so what if only the Genie can remove them?"

"So we're still trapped." Nick said frustrated. "Some help you were."

"Hey, if you got a better idea, let's hear it." Billie replied annoyed.

"Carson has an army of demons, but we got our own army right there." Nick said as he pointed at the crowd. "We fight."

"We can't risk the lives of all these people. Not against demons." Duncan replied.

"Why not?" Nick asked. "If we do nothing, their lives are lost for sure. If we fight, at least some of them have a chance to survive."

"Seems like there is still some warlock in you after all." Billie remarked. "Always looking out for yourself."

"I just want to survive." Nick replied angrily.

"Guys, there is no point in fighting." Nathan said. "Billie is right, we can't put these people in danger."

"Fine." Nick said as he threw up his hands.

"We need another plan. So let's think." Violet said. "We can't use our active powers, but we can use psychic powers. So what else can we do?"

"I don't know." Billie remarked. "Can you premonition demons to death?"

"No, but I mean these collars clearly don't block out our magic entirely." Violet replied. "So what about our basic powers?"

"I hadn't thought of that." Duncan replied with a frown. "Clearly, these collars were not designed for witches. What if we're still able to cast spells?"

"Do you really think we haven't tried that?" Nick remarked. "Give us some credit. It doesn't work."

"Maybe not for you." Violet reasoned. "But we have something that you don't. We're the Chosen, a collective. Our powers are intertwined. We are more powerful when we're together."

"Vi, you're a genius!" Billie said excited.

"Not really." Violet said embarrassed. "I'm the only one who did not figure out those drinks were trouble."

"Well, you just made up for it." Duncan said. "Let's get these damn things off."

"You got a spell?" Billie asked.

"I think I can come up with one." Violet said. "I've been studying some of Arthur's poetry books."

"Alright, let's do this." Billie said.

The Chosen gathered in a circle and joined hands while the twins stepped back and waited. Violet taught them the spell and they started chanting.

"_Hear the words of the Chosen few,_

_The collective power we pursue._

_Undo these binds to set us free,_

_Destroy the collars, now let it be_."

When the spell was cast, Billie hopefully looked at the collars on her wrists, but nothing seemed to be happening. They exchanged worried looks and tried again, but still nothing was happening. The spell was not working for some reason. Perhaps it was hopeless after all.

"Now what?" Violet asked disappointed.

"Perhaps the collars are preventing us from channeling our collective power." Duncan reasoned. "Cutting us off from each other."

"If it's a connection you need, maybe we could help." Nathan said. "We might be able to establish a telepathic link. If we connect with you, we might be able to channel your power."

"Can we trust them?" Billie asked with a frown.

"We're all in this together." Nick remarked. "I'm not interesting in spending another minute here. So you can either work with us or we can all die here."

"We can trust them." Duncan said.

"Fine." Billie said reluctantly.

Billie rejoined hands with the others and the twins joined the circle. When they made contact, Billie suddenly felt the others inside her mind. She suddenly hoped they were not able to read her mind and became worried, especially when she noticed Nick smirking at her. She quickly shook it off and focused on the task at hand.

The Chosen cast the spell again and waited. This time, Billie felt the power of the spell as the collars started to glow in a red light. A moment later, they dissolved into glittery gold dust. As the others cheered, Billie looked at Jake and the other prisoners and saw their collars were destroyed as well.

"We did it." Violet said excited.

"Good, now we can finally end this." Nick said. "That Carson has it coming."

"Wait, you can't kill him. He is mortal." Duncan replied.

"So what?" Nick asked. "He is more sadistic than any demon we ever faced."

"We can't kill him." Nathan repeated. "Even if he deserves it, he is mortal. Aside from the fact that it's wrong, you don't want to lose your soul over someone like him, right?"

"Fine, but I at least want him to suffer." Nick said reluctantly.

"Finally, we agree on something." Billie said.

Billie turned around and saw Jake headed toward them. "You did it." He said. "So what is the plan?"

"Carson has to know what is going on." Duncan said. "His army of demons can be here any second. We need to get these people out of here."

"What about the slaves upstairs?" Violet asked.

"I don't think the spell reached that far." Billie said. "We'll need to get the Genie for that. To end this once and for all."

"We should head for the penthouse." Nick said. "Carson will be holed up there like a coward."

"What about the people here?" Violet asked she pointed at them.

"I'll guide them outside and meet you up there." Jake said.

"Alright, be safe." Billie said.

"You too." Jake replied as they stared at each other for a moment. "Don't do anything rash."

"You know me." Billie remarked with a shrug.

There was an awkward moment when they both fell silent. The others headed for the door and Billie wondered if she should say something to Jake about their relationship. Everything had been said and done already. It was clear where they stood. Jake seemed to realize the same thing, so he simply nodded and turned to the other prisoners. Billie looked on as he gathered them in a circle and turned around to join the others out of the dungeon.

Xxx

When Violet and the others left the dungeon and reached the main floor, they noticed business was going as usual. The people in the casino, all still under influence of the drinks, were gambling like nothing was going on. However, their presence did not go unnoticed by everyone. A small army of robed demons were heading for the stairs when they stopped them. They pointed and screamed before running at them. Violet instantly feared for the innocent people there.

"We can't fight here!" She called out. "People will get hurt."

"We need to lure the demons away from here." Billie said.

"The ballroom." Nathan said. "It is mostly empty, they only use it on special occasions."

"Show us the way." Billie said.

Nathan nodded and shot across the room in a blur of speed, knocking down two demons that were in his way. He stopped at a large door and pointed at it. At the same time, more demons arrived from the other side, though Billie extended her hands and telekinetically threw them back. Nick then knocked over a statue with super strength to block their path.

"Alright, let's run." Billie said.

Everyone started running for the large doors with the demons right behind them. Violet noticed that none of the innocent gamblers seemed to be concerned with what was going on. They were too influenced by the blue drinks to even care. When two demons jumped up in front of them, they each threw an Energy Ball. Billie deflected them but missed as the demons ducked, causing the magical spheres to hit two slot machines and explode. Duncan quickly vanquished one with a Bursting Ball, while Nick impaled the other with his bare fist.

"That is gross." Violet said, feeling a little sick.

"Gross but effective." Nick replied. "Luckily, these demons don't bleed. That's when it gets really messy."

"Okay, stop talking please." Billie remarked with a disgusted face.

When they reached the doors, Nathan opened them and they ran inside the large empty ballroom. It was a large and beautiful room with a wooden dance floor in the middle and crystal chandeliers. However, Violet did not have time to enjoy her surroundings. They were soon followed by the army of demons and found themselves surrounded. The doors were locked and Violet realized they were trapped.

"How was this a good idea again?" Duncan asked.

"Vi. I think we're going to need you." Billie whispered.

The demons smiled and their leader stepped forward. He summoned an Energy Ball and the others soon followed his example.

"Thank you for making this easy." The demon said.

"You're welcome." Billie replied.

"Now!" The demon yelled.

The demons all threw their Energy Balls and Violet screamed as the dozens of magical spheres raced toward them. She threw up her hands and time around her slowed down. When she was finally able to open her eyes, she saw an Energy Ball was hovering mid-air a few feet from her face. She let out a relieved sigh. Time had stopped all around her. She looked at her friends and focused on them, unfreezing them with a mere thought.

"You're getting better at this, Vi." Billie said proudly.

"Luckily, I have been practicing." Violet replied somewhat annoyed. "You could have told me the plan, though."

"I improvised." Billie said with a shrug. "Besides, you power is triggered by fear, right? I figured it couldn't hurt to have a little assurance."

"Can we just vanquish these suckers before time catches up?" Nathan asked.

The others nodded and they quickly vanquished the demons, which was relatively easy now that they were frozen in time. However, Violet realized the demons were only the first step. They still needed to stop what was going on in this casino and free everyone trapped here. That meant they had to stop Carson and his twisted games. But if he still had the Genie under his command, he was a force to be reckoned with. After all, one wish could change everything.

"Are we ready for this?" Billie asked.

"As ready as ever." Duncan replied as he looked at the twins, who nodded.

"Carson still has the Genie." Violet reminded them.

"I know." Billie replied. "Which means that whatever we do, we cannot let him make another wish."

xxx


	7. Chapter 7

Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches

Part 7

Xxx

Carson furiously slammed his laptop shut and threw it across the room. He had just witnessed nearly his entire army of demons being vanquished on the security cameras. He could not believe he was losing to a handful of bratty witches. He had built an empire for himself and he was not about to let it be destroyed. He stood up and turned to one of his guards.

"Get out there, and whatever you do, don't let them in here." Carson ordered.

The demon nodded and took his men outside of the penthouse. Carson locked the door behind them. The few guards remaining would not be enough to stop the witches. It was time for his trump card. He headed to the vault and grabbed the Genie bottle. Just one more wish and it would disappear to a new owner. He had better make sure it was worth it.

Xxx

When the elevator door opened, Billie looked around the corner and soon snapped back when an Energy Ball flew past her head. She counted five demons in front of the penthouse. Five demons in a small hallway would be difficult to dodge, but she could manage. Billie stepped out of the elevator and acrobatically evaded more Energy Balls before telekinetically sending one back the demons and vanquishing one. She ran across the hall and took cover behind a pillar.

"You can just give up now!" Billie remarked.

"Die, witch." One of the demons yelled. "Get her."

Billie peeked around the corner and saw two demons running at her. Behind them, the door to the stairway opened. Duncan appeared and threw a Bursting Ball at the two demons by the door. When it exploded, one was vanquished, while the other was thrown against the wall. When the demons charging at Billie stopped and turned, she ran at them and levitated to kick them to the ground. The twins entered the hall and Nick vanquished the demon who had been thrown against the wall, while Duncan conjured another Bursting Ball and vanquished the ones Billie had kicked down.

"I think that's all of them." Billie said.

At that moment, the elevator arrived again and Violet joined them. They all gathered in front of the penthouse.

"Ready?" Billie asked.

When everyone nodded, Billie flung her hand and forced the door open. The five of them stepped into the penthouse and saw Carson standing in the middle of the room, holding the Genie bottle.

"You're too late." Caron said as he raised the bottle. "I wish you all…"

Billie felt a gush of wind and saw Nathan move past her in a blur and charge at him. Carson was knocked off his feet and crashed into a class coffee table, while the Genie bottle rolled over the floor.

"You were saying?" Billie remarked.

"You damn warlocks." Carson hissed at Nathan. "This all started with you. I should have killed you the moment you tried to rob me."

"You know, I really resent how people keep referring to us as warlocks. It's a little racist." Nathan said. "Although we have warlock DNA, we're witches."

Duncan smiled and Billie noticed the bottle on the floor. She walked over to pick it up and the moment she touched it, she felt a rush of power running through it.

"Almost feels anticlimactic, doesn't it?" Duncan remarked. "Without his demons and this bottle, he's powerless."

"Yeah, time to take this casino from hell down." Billie said. "Genie, come forth."

A red stream of smoke poured from the bottle and Sahara appeared. "My name is Sahara." She said as she bowed. "You have picked up my bottle and have now become my new master. I grant you three wishes, use them wisely."

"Just one question." Billie said. "You're a Genie, a trickster. Why did you go along with everything he wanted? Why should we trust you?"

"I admit we are often deceitful." Sahara said. "I did not want to go along with it, but his carefully strategized wishes made it very hard for me to resist him. However, I knew someday someone would come, which is why I added the loophole to the collars."

"So we could use at least part of our powers." Violet concluded.

"Exactly." Sahara replied. "To avoid suspicious, I only let them block active powers."

"So you were trying to warn me the first time I got here." Duncan reasoned. "But why did you knock us out in the dungeon?"

"You needed to all be together to break free." Sahara replied. "I knew you were powerful, but not powerful enough to do it alone."

"Do we believe her?" Billie asked suspiciously.

"I think so." Duncan said. "Genies are bound by the wishes of their masters. She did everything she could to fight him without directly opposing him."

"So now it is time for you to make your wishes." Sahara said.

"Just be careful." Violet reminded her.

"Alright." Billie said as she took a deep breath. "My first wish is that everyone who is enslaved here will be set free and returned home while having their memories of anything magical erased."

"As you wish." Sahara replied and bowed. "They will be returned home with a bad hangover and vague memories of losing at the poker table."

"We should tear this place down." Nathan said.

"And make him suffer." Nick added as he glared at Carson.

"We'll get to him." Billie replied. "My second wish is that this casino will disappear, destroy it like it never existed in the first place."

"It shall be done." Sahara said.

The Genie took a bow and suddenly everything became surrounded in a golden glow, so bright it nearly blinded Billie. She felt the world around her move and the floor beneath her disappear. She screamed as she fell, but quickly landed on soft ground. When Billie opened her eyes, she and the others were standing on the ground in a construction site. The casino was gone and they were standing in the fresh night air.

"No!" Carson screamed as he crawled up from the ground. "My casino!"

"Billie!" Someone yelled from a distance, and she turned around to see Jake running toward her. "I had just gotten out with the innocents when they suddenly disappeared. Then a moment later, the entire casino was gone."

"Don't worry, they're all safe." Billie said as she held up the bottle.

"You made a wish?" Jake asked with a frown. "How can you trust the Genie?"

"All the evil stuff had to be undone, there was no other way." Billie replied.

"Besides, Sahara is on our side." Duncan added.

"And you believe her?" Jake asked. "How can you be so stupid? Genies only look out for themselves."

"Well, you're right about one thing." Carson suddenly said. "You really are stupid. I'm not exactly powerless."

Billie spun around and saw Carson was aiming a gun at her, smirking as he pulled the trigger. Billie heard Violet scream and felt being pushed out of the way by Jake. Immediately after the gunshot, Nathan charged at Carson at superhuman speed and grabbed the gun, while Nick angrily threw him across the construction site and into a large dumpster.

"Is everyone okay?" Violet asked concerned.

"I'm okay." Billie said. "Thanks to Jake."

Billie turned to thank Jake when she suddenly heard him groan in pain. She rolled over and saw he was lying on the ground next to her. He was clutching his stomach, where his shirt was coloring red with blood. He had been shot. He had taken a bullet while trying to save her. Billie instantly reacted and pushed his hands down. There was so much blood.

"Keep the pressure on!" Billie said panicked. "We can get you to the hospital, or get a healer."

"I can take him." Nathan said.

"It's too late." Jake said with some difficulty. "I've been shot before. My organs are ruptured."

"No, no, no, this cannot be happening!" Billie called out.

"Mistress. You still have a wish." Sahara said as she kneeled down next to her.

"No!" Jake instantly said. "No magic. Don't trust her."

"She can save your life." Billie replied. "It's the only way."

Jake tried to argue, but only managed to spit up some blood. Billie knew she could not let him die, she owned him more than that. Even though Jake did not want to be saved by a Genie, it was his only shot. He could be angry with her later, when he was safe at home. She could never forgive herself if he died trying to save her, especially because she had just told him she did not love him.

"Save him." Billie said as she turned to Sahara. "I wish him to live."

"As you wish, master." Sahara said.

Sahara clapped and hands and bowed. She became surrounded in red smoke and when it disappeared, she was dressed in casual modern clothes and her golden collars were gone. A content smile appeared on her face as she looked at her unbound hands.

"What did you do?" Billie asked shocked.

"I did as you asked." Sahara replied. "I saved the cop."

"Billie, look!" Violet said.

Billie turned back to Jake and saw he was engulfed in blue smoke. She felt him disappear from under her hands as the smoke rose up. When the smoke faded, Jake was standing and his wound had disappeared. However, there was something very wrong, as he was suddenly dressed in blue Genie clothes. A moment later, golden collars appeared on his wrists. Billie realized to her horror what was happening. She had been tricked.

"What is going on?" Jake asked confused.

"A wish was made to save you." Sahara explained. "You were dying of a gunshot, but Genies are immortal. So I did what was needed."

"You turned him into Genie!?" Billie called out angrily as she stood up. "You betrayed me, you did it to free yourself."

"True." Sahara replied with a shrug. "You just weren't specific enough."

"Billie, what did you do?" Jake asked fearfully.

"I'm sorry." Billie said. "I did not want you to die."

"Wait, I feel weird." Jake said.

The golden collars on his wrists started to glow and Billie saw the bottle glowing as well. It started shaking and began to hover in the air. The red jewels embedded in it turned dark blue while a swirl of blue smoke started to surround Jake's feet.

"No!" Jake called out.

"Stop this!" Billie said as she turned to Sahara.

"I cannot." Sahara replied. "You made three wishes, the bottle must move on to a new master."

In a panic, Billie grabbed onto Jake and tried to pull him away, though the smoke continued to surround him. She could not let him get trapped. She would not let go.

"It's okay, Billie." Jake said reluctantly as the smoke reached his waist. "I know you tried to save me. You did what you had to."

"I'm so sorry." Billie replied as tears welled up.

"I chose to jump in front of the bullet." Jake replied. "I don't blame you."

"I'll find you. I'll find a way to free you." Billie promised.

Billie felt she was losing grip as his hands were engulfed in smoke. She tried to hold onto him, but it was impossible. Jake shook his head and leaned in to gently kiss her one last time. He then took a step back and attempted to smile as the smoke completely engulfed him. The smoke then flew into the bottle and it disappeared in a flash of golf light. Billie gasped, realizing he was gone, possibly forever. She could not believe she had been so stupid. She angrily turned to the one who tricked her. Billie held out her hand and telekinetically pushed Sahara into a construction pillar.

"You bitch!" Billie snapped at her.

"I was only looking out for myself." Sahara replied. "I have been trapped in that bottle for centuries. I wanted to be free before I was condemned to another master."

"So what are you, really?" Duncan asked. "Some kind of demon, a witch?"

"Neither." Sahara replied. "I'm mortal. Centuries ago, I foolishly fell in love with a Genie and wished him free, only to end up in the bottle myself. I'm sorry about your friend, but I did not deserve a fate like that."

"And Jake does?" Billie asked furiously as she telekinetically grabbed her throat.

"I was selfish." Sahara replied as she gasped for air.

"Billie, you can't kill her." Duncan said. "Whatever she did, she is mortal now."

"Duncan is right, Billie." Violet added as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find a way to free Jake, but we can't punish the guilty. Please."

Billie hesitated as Sahara struggled to breathe. However, she eventually realized her friends were right. She let go and Sahara fell on the ground while coughing.

"Get out of here, now." Billie said bitterly.

"I'm sorry." Sahara replied.

The former Genie dragged herself up from the ground and ran away, disappearing into the streets of Las Vegas. Billie took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. She still could not believe Jake was gone. He had disappeared and she had no idea how to find him, as she knew Genie bottles could not be tracked through magic. But she would not give up on him.

"What are we going to do with him?" Nathan asked when they all heard Carson stumbling out of the dumpster and falling. "I assume the 'not punish the guilty thing' also applies to him?"

"Afraid so, even though he doesn't deserve it." Duncan replied.

"So do we drop him off at the police?" Violet asked.

Suddenly, the earth trembled as the name Carson Meyer echoed in a deep and menacing voice. Flames rose up from the ground and a demon with pale blue skin and horns appeared. His eyes were red and he wore a fancy suit. Carson screamed as an invisible force dragged him to the demon's feet.

"Who are you?" Duncan asked as he defensively.

"The name is not important." The demon replied in a surprisingly polite tone. "I have business with Mister Meyer here. He promised me a shipment of souls, which he is now unable to deliver. Allow me to take his soul instead and I will leave in peace."

"We want him to suffer." Nick remarked.

"Trust me, he will." The demon replied with a slight smile.

"What if we try to stop you?" Billie asked.

"You can't, so I suggest you don't try." The demon simply stated, and Billie was inclined to believe it. "I have no business with you, so let's keep this civil."

"Fine." Billie remarked.

"No, you can't do this!" Carson screamed.

"Billie!" Violet called out shocked.

"I like your attitude, Miss Jenkins." The demon said with a smile.

"Wait how do you..?" Duncan started to ask.

"Know her name?" The demon finished. "Trust me, you're quite infamous where I'm from. Now I will take my prize and be on my way."

The demon's laugh and Carson's screams echoed through the construction site as they both disappeared in intense flames, leaving everyone speechless and wondering what the hell had just happened.

xxx


	8. Chapter 8

Chosen Chapter 9: Viva Las Witches

Part 8

Xxx

The following day, Billie opened the door to Jake's apartment and stepped inside. As she looked around, she was once again reminded that he was really gone. Not dead, but still gone. Even though she had no idea how to find him, she swore to herself that someday she would. She sighed as she headed to the bedroom and collected her stuff. She cleaned up a bit and realized she had a lot to take care of. His disappearance needed to be explained to the police department and she would need to cancel his rent. She had a lot to do. There was a knock on the door and Billie turned around. She was surprised to see Violet standing there.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Billie asked surprised.

"You think I was going to let you do this alone?" Violet replied. "Come on."

"I'm fine, really." Billie replied.

"Are you sure?" Violet asked.

"I think so. I mean, I know Jake is not gone forever." Billie reasoned. "But I'll still miss him."

"As?" Violet asked.

"As… a friend? Someone who meant a lot to me?" Billie guessed with a sigh. "I don't know. I don't even know how I'm supposed to feel. I admit I don't love him, and a few hours later I accidentally turn him into a Genie. Tell me how to feel, because I'm just lost."

"Well, first of all, don't blame yourself." Violet replied. "He tried to save you, then you tried to save him. Even if it was not true love, you cared about each other. That is all that matters."

"We'll find him." Billie said.

"Of course." Violet replied as she looked around. "So what are you going to do with this place?"

"I don't know." Billie said. "To bad it only has one bedroom. We still need a new place."

"You wouldn't honestly want to live here?" Violet asked shocked.

"No, I'm just kidding." Billie replied. "We'll need some kind of cover. A family emergency that required him to move back to Boston or something. We end his lease and send a letter to the department, move his stuff into storage."

"Seems like you have it figured out." Violet said. "I'm glad you're handling it so well. For a moment, I was worried you would need another vision quest."

"No, if my quest taught me one thing, it's to not hold onto mistakes." Billie replied. "I cannot let myself be consumed with guilt again."

"Good." Violet said as she walked over to hug her. "Because you deserve better, and Jake would not want you to either."

"It could take years before we even get a lead." Billie said saddened.

"I know." Violet replied as she combed through her hair. "We keep going and figure it out as we go along."

"Sounds good." Billie said with a smile as they stopped embracing each other. "Speaking of going along, isn't Arthur supposed to be coming back any time now?"

"He said he'd call the moment he gets into town." Violet said as she checked her phone. "Maybe he is delayed."

"You should go, get ready for your guy." Billie said. "I just need a moment."

Violet gave her a frowning look, asking her if she was sure. Billie smiled and nodded before pushing her to the door. After she left, Billie turned and walked around the apartment. If felt like a lifetime ago she had breakfast here with Jake, or when they watched that stupid movie he loved, and when they were in bed together. She headed to the door and turned off the light, whispering sorry as she closed the door behind her.

Xxx

Across town, Nathan entered the cheap motel room with a bag of groceries and saw his brother lying on bed watching TV. It was not exactly the luxury they were used to, but it was all they could afford with the little money they had left. What was supposed to their last big job, had turned out to be a harsh reality check. They could not go on like this. It was time for a change.

"Thank god, I'm starving." Nick said as he noticed his brother and leaped up.

"Get used to it." Nathan remarked. "With the new clothes, this room and the food, we're officially down to ten bucks. Tomorrow we'll really be homeless and starving."

"Guess it had to happen sometime." Nick replied with a shrug, faking that it didn't bother him. "Nobody said being good was easy."

"So we're really done?" Nathan asked. "No more stealing?"

"Yeah we are." Nick said. "I mean, take Carson. All the money in the world, and his life was hollow and fake. Not to mention how he ended up. I think it time for something different."

"There is still the little problem of Homeland Security and half of the magical community hunting us down." Nathan reminded him.

"How could I forget?" Nick replied sarcastically.

There was a knock on the door and the brothers exchanged concerned looks. Nathan carefully headed to the door and opened it. He was both relieved and happy to see Duncan standing before him. He pulled him in and hugged him, before moving on to kissing. That was all he wanted to do from the moment he had seen him in that creepy dungeon.

"Hey, I might be fine with that, but that doesn't mean I want to see it!" Nick remarked annoyed.

"Sorry." Duncan said after they stopped and he headed inside and held up a bag. "I figured you could use some clothes and food."

"A new identity would be more helpful." Nathan said. "But thanks."

"So what is the plan?" Duncan asked. "Please tell me you're not going to run again."

"No, we decided to do things a little differently from now on." Nick said.

"It's not going to be easy, though." Nathan added.

"Well, luckily, I'm here to help." Duncan replied.

"What can you do?" Nick asked with a frown.

"I don't know yet, but we'll figure something out." Duncan said. "After everything that happened in Las Vegas, it doesn't really feel like we've won anything. So I am not willing to give up the one good thing that came out of all of this."

"What's that?" Nathan asked.

"Do you really have to ask?" Duncan replied with a smile.

Nathan smiled as he figured it out and leaned him to kiss him again. This time, he did not care about his brother's protests and laughed when Nick stormed out and slammed the door shut.

xxx

The End

xxx

_Author's Note: _

_Thanks to everyone who has read my story. To those reviewing, I would like to say that I respect all opinions. However, without any valid arguments, I really can't do anything with them. I can understand that not everyone will agree with the directions I take my stories, but I would ask negative reviewers to at least give an explanation._


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